Heat exchanger



Dec. 21, 1948*. A. J. FAusEK r-:r AL

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed NOV. 16, 1944 FIG. 3.

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 21, 1948 HEAT EXCHANGER Arthur J. Fausek and Irwing F. Fausek, Clayton, Mo.

Application November 16, 1944, Serial No. 563,647

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to heat exchangers, and more specically to heat exchangers of the type comprising a structure which includes a plurality of independent passageways through which pass iiuid, gas, or other mediums, whose temperatures are to be changed, the predominantv object of the invention being to provide a heat exchanger of type mentioned which is of extremely simple and relatively inexpensive construction and arrangement, and which is capable of performing its intended function in a highly eiiicient manner.

Fig. 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation illustrating the improved heat exchanger.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the heat exchanger illustrated in Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a slightly modied form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section showing still another modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating yet another form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the heat exchanger of Fig l when provision is made for passage through the heat exchanger of an additional medium.

In the drawing, wherein are illustrated for purposes of illustration, merely, several embodiments of the invention, A designates in Fig. 1 the im proved heat exchanger generally. The heat exchanger A comprises an outer, cylindrical housing I which is closed at its top and bottom by closure members 2 and 3 which are suitably secured in place. Adjacent to its upper end the outer housing I is provided with an inlet conductor 4 which communicates with the interior of said outer housing and which is adapted to deliver into said outer housing one of the mediums Whose temperature is to be changed during passage through the heat exchanger, said outer housing being provided also with an outlet conductor 5 which is located adjacent to the lower end thereof in communication with the interior of said outer housing and through which such medium is discharged from the outer housing after passage therethrough.

Disposed within the outer housing I of the heat exchanger A, and extended longitudinally thereof, is an inner tubular member 6, said inner tubular member being shown in Fig. 1 as having tapered opposite ends, an inlet conductor 'I and an outlet conductor 8 being formed on said inner, tubular member or suitably secured thereto, and said inlet conductor 'l and said outlet conductor 8 being extended through apertures formed through the closure members 2 and 3 of the outer housing l. The wall of the inner tubular member is spaced from the wall of the outer housing l, and as will presently appear herein in more detail, the inner ltubular member 6 provides a passageway through the heat exchanger for one of the mediums whose temperature is changed y during its passage through the heat exchanger.

Arranged within the outer housing I and disposed in embracing relation with respect to the inner tubular member 6 is a spirally corrugated, intermediate, tubular member 9. The depth of the corrugations of the intermediate tubular member is such that the inner curved faces oi said corrugations contact closely with the outer face of the wall of the inner tubular member 6, while the outer curved faces of said corrugations of said intermediate tubular member Contact' closely with the inner face of the wall of the outer housing I (Fig. 2).

Because of this arrangement the corrugations of the intermediate tubular member 9 provide two spiral passageways through the heat exchanger I, one such spiral passageway, which is designated by the reference character I0, being formed by the convex, spiral portion 9a of the corrugations and an adjacent, spiral portion 6c of the outer face of the inner tubular member 6, and the other spiral passageway, which is designated by the reference character I I, being formed by the concave, spiral portion 9b of the corrugations and an adjacent spiral portion Ia of the inner face of the outer housing I. The intermediate tubular member 9 has associated therewith an inlet conductor I2 which extends through an aperture formed through the wall of the outer housing I and which is welded, or otherwise secured, to said intermediate tubular member in communication with the spiral passageway I0. In like manner, the intermediate tubular member 9 has associated therewith an outlet conductor I3 which is welded, or otherwise secured, to said intermediate tubular I member in communication with the spiral passageway I0 at the end remote from the end at which the inlet conductor I2 is located, said outlet conductor I3 being extended through an opening Iformed through the wall of the outer house ing In the use of the improved heat exchanger disclosed in Figs. l and 2, one medium enters the outer housing I of the heat exchanger by way of the inlet conductor 4 and passes in a spiral manner through the spiral passageway Il provided by the concave, spiral portion of the intermediate tubular member 9, and an adjacent spiral portion of the inner face of the wall of the outer housing I, such medium being discharged from the heat exchanger by way of the outlet conductor 5. In like manner, another medium passes into the spiral passageway I provided by the convex, spiral portion of the intermediate tubular member and an adjacent spiral portion of the outer face of the wall of the inner tubular member 6, sai-d medium passing spirally through said passageway and being discharged from the heat exchanger by Way of the outlet conductor I3. Still another medium passes through the inner tubular member 6, the last-mentioned medium entering the inner tubular member by way of the inlet conductor 'I and being discharged from said inner tubular member by way of the outlet conductor 8. Thus it is apparent that efficient interchange of temperatures of the three mediums is accomplished during their passage through the various passageways of the heat .interchanger in an obvious and well known manner.

In Fig.3 a structure is illustrated which is quite similar to the structure illustrated in Fig. 2. However, the linner tubular member I4 of Fig. 3 has formed thereon, or fixed thereto, a spiral 1in I5 which extends outwardly from said inner tubular member into the spiral passageway I6, which -corresponds to the spiral passageway IIJ of Fig. 2. The use of the spiral iin I5 increases the efficiency of the heat exchanger in that it causes temperature conducting faces to be disposed in the core of the medium passing through the passageway I6 where temperature conductivity is ordinarily poor.

Fig. 4 illustrates a structure resembling the structure of Fig. 2 except that the structure of F'g. 4 includes a rod I'I which is extended spirally through the spiral passageway I8 at the base thereof. While the particular rod illustrated in Fig. 4 is semicircular in cross-section it may have any desired cross-sectional shape, and its main purpose is to give strength and rigidity to the structure. If desired the rod I'I may be soldered, brazed, or otherwise secured in place.

The structure of Fig. 5 is quite similar to the structure of Fig. 3, the only diierence between the structures of said views being that the inner tubular member I9 of Fig. 5 has arranged longitutinally therein a rod on which is formed,

or xed, a spiral iin 2|. 'I'he outer edge of the spiral iin 2I contacts closely with the inner face of the wall of the inner tubular member, and said spiral n provides a spiral passageway through said inner tubular member for the medium passing therethrough.

The heat exchanger illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is adapted for the passage therethroughof three mediums whose temperatures are to be changed during passage of said three mediums through the heat exchanger. If it should be desired to increase the capacity of the heat exchanger of Figs. 1 and 2 so that four mediums may be passed therethrough, this may be accomplished by adding to the structure of Figs. 1 and 2 an additional spirally corrugated, tubu lar member 22, as is shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6 the spirally corrugated, tubular member 22 is shown as embracing the housing I of the struc-l ture with the wall of the depressed, spiral portion of said member contacting with the outer face of the wall of said housing I. The convex spiral portion of the member 22 and a spiral portion of the outer face of the wall of the houslongitudinally through said housing with the wall of said inner tubular member spaced from the wall of said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from said inner tubular member respectively for passage through said inner tubular member of a medium, an intermediate spirally corrugated tubular member disposed in the space between the wall of said inner tubular member and the wall of said housing, said spirally corrugated intermediate tubular member having a convex spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the inner face of the wall of said housing and a concave spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the cuter face of the wall of said inner tubular member, whereby one spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral of said intermediate tubular member and an adjacent spiral portion of the outer face of the wall of said inner tubular member, and a second spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral portion of said intermediate member and an adjacent spiral portion of the inner face of the wall of said housing, said spiral passageway formed by a portion of said intermediate tubular member and a portion of the wall of said housing communicating directly with the interior of said housing for passage therethrough of medium which enters said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from the other of said spiral passageways respectively for passage through said other spiral passageway of another medium, and a spiral element arranged in one of said spiral passageways.

2. A heat exchanger comprising an elongated housing which is closed at its opposite ends, an inlet conductor and an outlet conductor leading to and from the interior of said housing respectively, an inner tubular member extended longitudinally through said housing with the wall of said inner tubular member spaced from the wall of said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from said inner tubular member respectively for passage through said inner tubular member of a medium, an intermediate spirally corrugated tubular member disposed in the space between the wall of said inner tubular member and the wall of said housing, said spirally corrugated intermediate tubular member having a convex spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the inner face of the wall of said housing and a concave spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the outer, face of the wall of said inner tubular member, wh'ereby one spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral portion of said intermediate tubular member and an adjacent spiral portion of the outer face of the wall of said inner tubular member, and a second spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral portion of said intermediate member and an adj acent spiral portion of the inner face of the wall of said housing, said spiral passageway formed by a portion of said intermediate tubular member` and a portion of the wall of said housing communicating directly with the interior of said housing for passage therethrough of medium which enters said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from the other of said spiral passageways respectively for passage through said other spiral passageway of another medium, and a spiral nn disposed in said spiral passageway which is formed by a portion of said intermediate tubular member and a portion of said inner tubular member.

3. A heat exchanger comprising an elongated housing which is closed at its opposite ends, an inlet conductor and an outlet conductor leading to and from the interior of said housing respectively, an inner tubular member extended longitudinally through said housing with the wall of said inner tubular member spaced from the wall of said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from said inner tubular member respectively for passage through said inner tubular member of a medium, an intermediate spirally corrugated tubular member disposed in the space between the wall of said inner tubular member and the wall of said housing, said spirally corrugated intermediate tubular member having a convex spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the inner face of the wall of said housing and a concave spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the outer face of the wall of said inner tubular member, whereby one spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral portion of said intermediate tubular member and an adjacent spiral portion of the outer face of the wall of said inner tubular member, and a second spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spira-l portion of said intermediate member and anadjacent spiral portion of the inner face of the wall of said housing, said spiral passageway formed by a portion of said intermediate tubular member and a portion of the wall of said housing communicating directly with the interior of said housing for passage therethrough of medium which enters said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from the other of said spiral passageways respectively for passage through said other spiral passageway of another medium, and a spiral 1in supported by said inner member and disposed in said spiral passageway which is formed by a portion of said intermediate tubular member and a portion of said inner tubular member.

4. A heat exchanger comprising an elongated housing which is closed at its opposite ends, an inlet conductor and an outlet conductor leading to and from the interior of said housing respectively, an inner tubular member extended longitudinally through said housing with the wall of said inner tubular member spaced from the wall of said housing, inlet and outlet conductors lead- `housing and a concave spirally extended corrugation portion which contacts with the outer face of the wall of said inner tubular member, whereby one spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral portion of said intermediate tubular member and an adjacent spiral portion of the outer face of the wall of said inner tubular member, and a second spiral passageway is provided through the heat exchanger by a spiral portion of said intermediate member and an adjacent spiral portion of the inner face of the wall of said housing, said spiral passageway formed by a portion of said intermediate tubular member and a portion of the wall of said housing communicating directly with the interior of said housing for passage therethrough of medium which enters said housing, inlet and outlet conductors leading to and from the other of said spiral passageways respectively for passage through said other spinal passageway of another medium, a spiral element arranged in one of said spiral passageways and a spiral structure disposed within said inner tubular member and extended longitudinally thereof.

ARTHUR J. FAUSEK. IRWING F. FAUSEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,781,151 I-Iall Nov. 11, 1930 1,854,619 Mortensen Apr. 19,1932 2,062,321 Levin Dec. l, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 326,278 Great Britain Mar. 13, 1930 477,683 France Nov. 4, 1915 137,698 Germany Jan. 2, 1903 

